Lifestyle Pre-Nuptial Agreements: What Can You Get Your Spouse to Do?

We've all heard of pre-nuptial agreements to protect finances and assets. But what about a lifestyle pre-nup? An Australian Web site recently reported that many Australian couples are writing codes of conduct to clearly stipulate what they expect from their spouse -- from the weight he or she should maintain to how much money he or she should place in the joint account.

On the one hand, I think lifestyle pre-nuptial agreements are a great idea. Far too many couples jump into marriage and fail to discuss the details. Then, they are surprised when they disagree about major issues like having a baby and how to spend the family money. On the other hand, how can we possibly agree to something like maintaining the same weight for our whole lives? What happens when you get pregnant or when menopause kicks in or you get sick? Besides being superficial, that kind of thing does not seem to have anything to do with the bonds of marriage or the vows we take. You can get too caught up in the details and expect absurd things that really won't make your relationship any stronger.

Here are a couple of things I would put in my lifestyle pre-nuptial agreement:

Do your best to be a good husband to me and father to our children.
Contribute some money to the family, so one person isn't taking on all of the burden.
Kiss and hug me regularly. Let's try to have sex at least once a week.
Dream big!

What would be in your lifestyle pre-nup? Let us know by clicking on comments below and leaving a message.